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H. H. SUPLEE. ART or AND APPARATUS FOR oascumue SUBMERGED SUBMARINEBOATS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATI ON FILED OCT. 3, I91 RENEWED DEC- 30,1916. 1,312,595.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

gy/ 2 aw ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. SUPLEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBSCURING SUBMERGED SUBMARINE BOATS AND THELIKE.

Application filed October 3, 1912, Serial No. 723,669. Renewed December30, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. SUPLEE, a. citizen of the United States,and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Art of and Apparatus forObscuring Submerged Submarine Boats and the like, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to methods of and apparatus for obscuring submarineboats or the like whensubmerged. It is well known that the outline andposition of a submerged submarine or the like is plainly visible andclearly defined from a position above the surface of the water eventhough the submarine or the like may be at a considerable depth. lViththe introduction of the aeroplane, the dirigible balloon and similaraeronautical machines into warfare it will readily be seen that theeffectiveness of, for instance, the submarine boat is considerablyreduced owing to the fact that aerial scouts can accurately determinethe position and course thereof and can consequently apprise thecommandant of a vessel or other object about to be attacked, of theapproach of such submarine in time for the attack to be frustrated. Theparticular object of my invention is to overcome these objections and toprovide a simple and effective method of rendering such submergedsubmarine boats and the like invisible more particularly from a positionabove the surface of the water. My improvement further contemplates theprovision of a simple and easily operated apparatus for carrying out myimproved method. My invention will be fully described hereinafter andthe features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa diagrammatic horizontal sectional view of a submarine boat with anexample of my improved apparatus incorporated therein and Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof partly in section.

My improved method consists in reducing the transparency of the water inthe neighborhood of the submarine boat or the like when the same issubmerged so that said water will be incapable of transmitting light andthe outline of the vessel and its course will consequently be invisiblefrom any Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Serial No. 139,851.

point above the surface of the water. This result may be attained in anysuitable manner as for instance by providing the submarine or the likewith a supply of a solution comprising water and a coloring agent whichsolution is introduced into the adjacent water from the submarine or thelike in any convenient manner and becomes mixed with said water andconsequently renders it sufliciently opaque to obscure the submergedsubmarine boat or the like. Any suitable coloring agent may be utilizedfor the purpose as for instance nigrosin or anilin black soluble inwater, the coloring agent being mixed with the water in anypredetermined proportion to secure the intended result and preferably insuch a manner that the solution when introduced into the adjacent waterwill effectually reduce the transparency thereof without itself becomingvisible to an observer for instance in an airship.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a specific form of apparatusfor carrying out my improved method in connection with a submarine boat,although it is to be distinctly understood that both the apparatus andits incorporation in a submarine boat are only examples of my inventiveidea and that the said apparatus may be changed and in any form isequally well adapted for use in connection with submarine mines,torpedoes and the like.

In the drawings 5 represents the hull of the vessel which may be of anysuitable construction and is provided with the usual propellers 6 andengines for driving the same, the latter having been omitted for thesake of clearness. Suitable tanks 7 are located within said hull and areadapted to contain the solution which is to be introduced into theadjacent water and are further preferably provided with suitableopenings 8 through which the soluble coloring agent may be introduced.The tanks 7 may be the usual ballast tanks or may be auxiliary tanks asdesired and in any case are preferably connected in pairs by means ofpipes 9 which extend along the inside surfaces of the hull 5 and areeach connected with a series of outwardly open apertures or perforations10 formed in the said hull preferably at opposite sides thereof. Asuitably driven pump 11 may be connected by means of pipes 12 with allof said tanks 7 and serves to deliver the necessary water thereto and,in addition,

may also operate to force the solution from the tanks 7 through thepipes 9= and out through the perforations 10. Instead of introducing thesoluble coloring agent into the tanks 7 through the openings 8 the saidcoloring material may be carried in a con centrated solution in liquidformv and pumped into the tanks as desired.

In'op'eration, when it is desired to ob scure the submerged submarineboat or the like, the solution may simply be permitted to flow throughthe apertures 10 into the adjacent water, 7 or said solution may beforced therethrough by the action of the pump 11. Instead of using thepump 11 for the purpose of forcing said solution from the tanks, thesame may be forced therefrom by means of compressed air or any othersuitable means. In any case, the discoloring solution will be ejectedthrough the apertures l0 and will be distributed about. the hull of thevessel or the like in such a manner as to become mixed with the adjacentwater. The said submarine boat or the like when submerged, may thus beenveloped'in a clouded mass of water at will, which will render saidboat or the like invisible to an observer from 'a point above thesurface of the water, and will itself be substantially invisible to saidobserver. The position and course of the boat or the like may thus beeffectually obscured in a simple manner by means under the control ofthose by whom the boat is operated, and as a very small proportion ofcoloring material is sufiicient for the purposes of effectuallyobscuring the position of, for instance, a submarine boat, it

is practicable by my improved methodand means to enable a submarine boatto approach an object without detection by aerial scouts. It is, ofcourse, to be. understood that,'if desired, suitable valves may beprovided to control the apertures 10 so that'the the surface of thewater, which consists in Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing witnesses.

introducing into the water adjacent to such vessel or the like, anobscuring agent in such quantity only as will suflice effectually toreduce the transparency of the water; without causing the obscuringagent itself to" be readily distinguishable'from such position.

2. The art of rendering submerged vessels 7 or the-like invisible from aposition above the surface of the water, which consistsin I introducininto the water adjacent to such vessel or t e like, a coloring agent insuch quantity only as will suffice effectually to reduce thetransparency of the water without causing the coloring agent itself tobe readily distinguishable from such position.

. 3. The combination of a submarine vessel or the like with apparatuscarried by such vessel for containing a solution of a coloring agent andfor transmitting such solution into the adjacent water when the vesselor the like is submerged, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a submarine vessel or the like with apertures opento the exterior thereof, a receptacle in said vessel or the like adaptedto contain a solution comprising water and a coloring agent, aconnection from said receptacle to said apertures, and means for forcingsaid solution from said receptacle through said apertures when thevessel or the like is submerged,

whereby the transparency of the adjacent water is reduced and saidvessel or the like is rendered invisible from a position above thesurface of the water.

5. The combination of a" submarine vessel i" or the like provided withoutwardly open apertures at its sides, a plurality of tanks each adaptedto contain asolution comprising water and a coloring agent, pipes con- Anecting said tanks in pairs and communicatnected with all of saidtanksfor-forcing said solution through said pipes and said aperingwith saidapertures, and a pump con tures when said vessel or the like issubmerged, whereby the transparency of the ad.-

jacent water is reduced. and the said vessel or the like is renderedinvisible from a position above the surface of the water.

. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand .in the presence oftwo subscribing HENRY H. soPLEE.

Witnesses:

FRITZ v. -BRIIESEN,

JOHN A. KEHLENBEOK. p

the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. O. V V

